Which Solution Is Right For You
All of these methods are useful in different situations. I like the old-fashioned HDMI cable as the best short-range solution. If you can’t run a cable, Google Cast and Plex are excellent options for streaming media, while the Steam Link is great for gaming. You have plenty of options, depending on how you want to use your TV.
And if you want a second screen but are looking for something smaller than your TV, our guide to using your iPad as an extension of your computer can get you started.
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Will It Even Work
The short answer: Yes. You may need a special cable, depending on your PCs outputs and your HDTVs inputs, and youll need to check a couple of settings, but you shouldnt have too much trouble hooking most modern PCs up to most modern HDTVs.
Modern HDTVs have HDMI outputs. Some older HDTVs have DVI inputs, and some even have VGA inputs specifically designated for PC use. If your graphics card has an HDMI output, youre good to go: Just use an HDMI cable to connect your PC to your HDMI.
All modern graphics cards include at least one HDMI port .
Brad Chacos/IDG
If youre using an older graphics card or motherboard that only has a DVI output, you can snag a cheap DVI-to-HDMI cable and plug it into your HDTVs HDMI output. Amazon sells Remove non-product link. Although some older HDTVs and some older computers only have VGA inputs/outputs, they arent not an ideal choice. VGAs an analog signal that will give you a far fuzzier, lower-resolution image than youll get with an HDMI or DVI cord.
Bottom line? Try to stick to HDMI if or DisplayPort-to-HDMI connections if its possible. Its the easiest solution.
Mirroring With An Hdmi Cable
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A standard HDMI cable is still the best way to get your PCs screen onto a TV. This is true whether that computer is a living room PC using a TV as its only video output, or PC with its own monitor thats mirroring the contents of the primary display to the TV.
Getting this solution hooked up is pretty simple. You probably already have an HDMI cable. If you dont, you can buy a cheap cable like this one and skip the unnecessary expensive cables. Plug one end into an HDMI port on the back of your TV and the other into the HDMI port on your laptop or desktop. Switch the TV to the necessary input and youre done! You can also use the display options on your PC to configure how the display workswhether the TV mirrors your main display or functions as a secondary desktop.
RELATED:Beginner Geek: How to Connect a Laptop to a Television
Thats the theory. In practice, many modern laptops dont ship with a built-in HDMI portat least, not a full-sized one. Modern, super-thin laptops just dont have space for those large ports. You can still connect your laptop to a TV with an HDMI cable, thoughyoull just need the necessary adapter for the port your laptop does include.
Be sure to check exactly what type of port your laptop has before purchasing such an adapter.
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Stream From Pc To TV By Installing Plex Software On Your Pc
Pros: Plex software organizes media on a PC or NAS, making it a media server accessible to any device on your network.Cons: Quality of stream is subject to wireless network performance.
Setup overview: Install Plex software on the computer that contains the files you wish to stream. The software setup wizard helps organize media files on the server, and you install the mobile application on devices where you want to view the contenthere is where a Wi-Fi-enabled smart TV is useful, but there are workarounds if you dont have one. Keep reading.
Screen shot of Plex apps front end
Limitations: For non-smart televisions to network with a Plex server, any media streamer will do the trick Roku 3, Roku 4, Chromecast, Apple TV, current gaming consolesall of them have Plex support. These devices connect to the TV via HDMI, and a router via wired Ethernet.
Pro tip: You actually do not need additional software to stream from PC to TVWindows, OSX and Linux operating systems have built-in DLNA server features. Since DLNA is a dated standard, not every kind of media file will be recognized by the server. Plex is capable of transcoding on the fly to accommodate streaming these otherwise unsupported file formats.
Plex alternatives: There is PlayOn for Roku TiVo users have TiVo Desktop Software for PC. If you have another favorite Plex alternative, call it out in the comments.
Project Pc Screen To TV In Windows 10
Before getting started with the steps to Project Computer Screen to TV in Windows 10, you need to make sure that your Windows 10 PC supports Miracast, which can be described as a Screen-mirroring protocol that lets you broadcast anything from an Intel computer to TV.
Also, you need to be aware that Miracast does not always work well, and there are only a few Miracast receivers that actually work well in practice.
Related: How to Setup Chromecast on Windows 10 Computer
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Turning On The Screen Mirroring Option
As per your TV type, you may follow the steps to enable the Screen Mirroring option.
Android TV
Step 1. Press the HOME button on IR remote control provided with the TV.
Step 2. Scroll through the Apps and select Screen Mirroring option.
Step 3. Navigate through the on-screen instructions to complete the casting setup.
Other TVs
Step 1. Press the INPUT button on the IR remote control provided with the TV.
Step 2. Browse through options and select Screen Mirroring.
How To Connect Your Laptop To A TV Wirelessly
Plenty of gadgets are able to act as a bridge between your computer and your TV, allowing you to ‘cast’ content from one to the other. You may also hear the term ‘screen mirroring’ used, though technically the two are slightly different, with one streaming content from within an app and the other replicating your laptop’s screen.
Because there are so many technologies and terminologies in use out there, including Wireless Display, Wi-Fi Direct and Miracast, which may be supported by none, one or both of your devices, it may pay to keep things simple.
We like the Roku Express . It’s a cheap media streamer that plugs into your TV over HDMI and allows you to install apps for various catch-up TV services and movie-subscription services. It also allows you to cast from a compatible device in much the same way as the £30 , but with the addition of a user-friendly interface.
If you don’t need a media streaming box – perhaps you already have a smart TV and don’t need to add apps – there are also solutions that are no more than wireless HDMI dongles, such as this . It’s no different to connecting the two using an HDMI cable, except that the cable is replaced with a wireless system.
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How To Connect Your Computer To A TV
You would think that connecting a computer to a TV is rather straightforward: You just grab an HDMI cable and tether the two together, right? But what if a PC doesnt have an HDMI port? This guide shows how to connect your computer to a TV on the three major PC platforms Windows 10, MacOS, and Chrome OS with several wired and wireless methods.
My TV Doesn’t Have A Spare Hdmi Port
If all HDMI ports are currently in use, use an HDMI switch to turn one port into many. These are relatively cheap devices – we like this Techole HDMI switch with three HDMI outputs.
Connect the port labelled HDMI OUT to the TV using an HDMI cable, then use the three HDMI IN ports to attach various HDMI-connected devices. You can switch between them using the button on top .
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Connecting The Pc To The TV
How To Connect Pc To TV With Hdmi
This article was written by Travis Boylls. Travis Boylls is a Technology Writer and Editor for wikiHow. Travis has experience writing technology-related articles, providing software customer service, and in graphic design. He specializes in Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, and Linux platforms. He studied graphic design at Pikes Peak Community College. This article has been viewed 412,748 times.
This wikiHow teaches you how to connect your PC to a TV using an HDMI cable. Connecting your PC to your TV will enable you to display your computer screen on your TV, so you can watch movies or browse the internet on the big screen. All you need to connect the two devices is an HDMI cable.
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On A Windows Computer
You can wirelessly display the screen on the television using Google Chrome:
Note: Google Chrome
Note:
- Update your Google Chrome browser if needed.
- If the TV shows the entire the computer screen instead of just the browser screen, on the Cast tab click , and then select Cast desktop.
- It is not possible to watch paid video streaming service via Cast.
- Depending on the content type, some video playback may not be compatible with Cast.
Play Around With Your TVs Source/input Settings
Once youve connected your computer to your television whether using a cord or wirelessly youll likely need to change the input source on your TV in order to see whats on your computer on your television screen. Click the source button on your TV or its remote to change the input source. Play around with these settings until you find the right one.
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Mirroring Using An Hdmi Cable
The most basic way to mirror your computer with a TV is using an HDMI Cable. It can be a living room PC connected to your TV for a display instead of a monitor or your laptop which connects randomly to your TV unit for a wider display.
Getting mirroring done using this option is the simplest way to connect. To hookup your TV for display, you need to ensure that your TV unit and the computer is equipped with an HDMI port. You need to have an HDMI cable to bridge the connection between both the devices. An HDMI cable may range between $5 to $50 depending on the quality and length of the cable. All you need to do is connect one end of the cable to the HDMI Port of your TV unit and another end to the HDMI port of your computer. HDMI port is mostly available on Laptop and Desktop PCs. Once you are done, you can switch between input modes and select HDMI Port and you are all done. If you are using an old PC, you may need to set the display options on your PC to mirror your TV as the main display or functions as a secondary display. If you have a monitor connected with your computer, You can toggle between Display 1 / Display 2 / Duplicate display, etc.
Also Read: How To Do Screen Mirroring From iPhone/iPad To TV
How To Project Computer To TV And Show Different Display On Laptop / Projector / TV
September 21, 2013 –
How to project computer to TV article was last updated: Nov 24, 2019. FYI: When I first wrote this post in 2013, I used Dragon Naturally Speaking to dictate to my computer to type down what I said. Back then, I was one of the only classrooms in my school to have my own projector because I bought it myself. Seems so long ago.
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Stream From Pc To TV Directly With An Hdmi Cable
Pros: Simple setup HDMI cables are capable of full HD and audio in one cable.Cons: Usually not a permanent solution mobility is limited by the cable using a tower PC may be cumbersome.
HDMI cable HDMI inputs on a laptop PC and television
Setup overview: HDMI outputs come standard on newer laptops, PCs and Chromebooks. Many tablets have mini HDMI outputs, a smaller version of the same thing. Simply run a HDMI to HDMI cable between the HDMI ports of the computer and TV to mirror content on both screens. Use a Mini HDMI to HDMI for connecting a tablet to the larger display.
- iOS devices with a Thunderbolt output will use a Mini DisplayPort adapter for porting into HDMI.
- For streaming 1080p content onto a 1080p source a high-speed HDMI cable is recommended.
- Some HDMI cables are designated as HDMI w/Ethernet for device networking. Functionality is only available if both linked devices are HDMI Ethernet Channel-enabled.
Limitations: Standard cable length for HDMI tops out at 50 feet due to HD signal degradation at longer distances. An HDMI signal can be extended further using Cat5/Cat6 extenders and Ethernet cable. Note that higher resolutions like 4K have shorter max distances, usually around 100 feet depending on the extender.
Pro Tip: The resolution of laptop or tablet screen matters for picture quality. You can find Full-HD laptops priced under $600for example, there is a lot of value in Acer Aspire E as a multi-media laptop.
Big Laptop Libraries: Plex
If you’ve built a big media library on your computer, you can stream it easily to your TV using Plex. Plex is media server software that can catalog all of your video and audio files and stream them to any device running the Plex app. It can also act as a front-end for streaming media services, and can even record live TV with a USB tuner.
All major media streamers support Plex, along with many smart TV platforms. It can even stream to your phone, tablet, or any other compatible device outside of your house, as long as your computer is on and connected to the internet. Plex is available for free, but for more advanced features like live TV and DVR, you need to get the premium Plex Pass for $4.99 a month, $39.99 a year, or $119.99 for a lifetime subscription.
Plex is very functional for media playback and streaming, even in its free form. It doesn’t support any sort of screen mirroring, however anything streamed to the Plex app on your TV or media streamer must be registered through the server software. That means no games. It also tops out at 1080p, so it can’t stream 4K.
Pros: Robust media format and service support. Accessible outside of the home. Free, with optional premium subscription for advanced features.
Cons: Doesn’t support 4K. Doesn’t work with games.
Read Also: How To Broadcast Phone To TV
There Is No Sound When I Connect My Laptop To My TV Over Hdmi
There are a number of problems that could cause the TV not to play sound from a computer connected over HDMI. It’s worth ruling out any issues with the connection itself first of all, so make sure the HDMI cable is inserted properly, and potentially try using a different HDMI cable or port.
You will also need to ensure the computer’s settings are configured correctly. Right-click the volume icon in the Taskbar at the bottom of your Windows display, then choose Sounds. Select the Playback tab then ensure the Digital Output or HDMI option is selected as the default.
If you do not see these options here, right-click in that window and make sure all disconnected and disabled devices are visible. If it’s still missing, update the drivers for your sound card. You can do this by going direct to the website of your sound card manuafacturer, or using a simple application such as Driver Easy.